Tuesday, May 30, 2017

The High Cost of Keeping Friendships

So lately, Lucy has been doing great with her friends at school and is having seconds thoughts about switching schools. Of course, right? I knew this would happen.

She's still going to the new school and she knows it. She says she still wants to go to the new school but I think that's to appease me more than anything.

There is a new girl that she befriended through her friendship group at school. (The friendship group has really helped, by the way!) It distracted her from the group of girls that turned their backs on her and she was welcomed in by a new group of friends. In the meantime, some of her old friends have come back (but not all.) So we have a happy ending.

But now she'll be leaving all those friends and starting off on her own which hurts my heart. I can't help praying, "Is this really the right decision, Lord???" and in my heart I feel that it is. It just doesn't feel right to stay at Cologne Academy. I'm not sure why but it just doesn't.

So we will keep in touch with her old friends. But in order to do that, I need to get a new iPad since kids these days stay in touch by SnapChat and Skype. (The old one broke.) I used to swear that I would keep this house technology free for as long as I could, but all it seems this is the only way to keep in touch. And if you can't reach your friends, you eventually are out of the group.

I think this is what happened to Lucy. Last year, we broke the iPad. I found it to be a blessing in disguise because it seemed she was always chatting with her friends on Skype or on that iPad for some reason. But, eventually, her friends weren't talking to her so much anymore...maybe talking about her to each other...and then eventually, she was left out more and more to the point where she no longer fit in.

So I promised we would get a new one so she can keep in touch with her friends and get together with them over the summer. I never make promises by the way--that way, you can't be accused of breaking them--but this time, I promised. I didn't realize how much work it was to keep in touch with people (or how expensive it can be) these days. It's sad but that's just the way it is.